“It’s the death of film as we know it!” So cry the doomsayers each and every January, as the UK’s annual cinema attendance stats are revealed. Invariably, they paint a picture of a nation disinclined to spend a small fortune at its local Odeon when it could instead sit at home, eating Pringles and binge-watching Orange Is The New Black. And is it any wonder? In this age of HD streaming, P2P file-sharing and Netflix’s all-you-can-watch Danny Dyer selection, the cinema is increasingly looking like an anachronism.

This week, one of the year’s most stunningly cinematic films arrives on DVD and Blu-ray. Jonathan Glazer’s near-wordless science fiction opus Under The Skin blends low-key scenes of Scarlett Johansson wandering around Glasgow city centre with transcendent CGI renderings of alternate dimensions, alien propagation and sub-aquatic human flesh farms. It’s hard to imagine a film better deserving of the big-screen treatment.

And yet, the advantages of watching such a film at home are undeniable. Sure, your ageing flat-screen monitor – with its lines of broken pixels and tinny built-in speakers – might not boast the same tech specs as your local cinema, but what the home viewing experience lacks in technological advancement, it makes up for in versatility. In the comfort of your own home, you can craft the perfect screening experience to suit any film, from the frothiest of romcoms to the bleakest of arthouse dramas.

Under The Skin, for instance, is an exceptionally dark movie, shot almost entirely at night. Even the slightest amount of external light on the screen can render the action impossible to follow. The luminous exit signs that adorn most multiplex auditoriums are therefore a very real concern. Perfect darkness can be found more readily at home, with standby lights and phones negated. The death of film as we know it, perhaps, but more likely the birth of a new breed of cinematic perfectionism.

Studiocanal, DVD & Blu-ray

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Mistaken For Strangers Charmingly unorthodox rock doc about The National.

The Lunchbox A meal-time mix up leads to romance in this comedy-drama.

Pulp: A Film About Life, Death And Supermarkets Half-baked ode to Sheffield’s Britpop legends.